Parliamentary reporter @TrinderMatt
LABOUR warned that the announcement of a “pause” to planning reforms was not enough today, as newly minted Housing Minister Michael Gove found himself embroiled in a conflict-of-interest controversy.
In his first policy decision since being handed the role, Mr Gove, who was revealed yesterday to have received £120,000 from property developers before taking office, said he wanted to address Tory MPs’ concerns about the reforms, which have been labelled a “developer’s charter” by critics.
Labour expressed cynicism about the temporary stay, however, with shadow communities and local government secretary Steve Reed MP stating that former secretary Robert Jenrick’s development policies “need to be scrapped.
Once derided by Farage as a ‘fraud,’ Jenrick has defected to Reform, bringing experience and political ruthlessness to the populist right — and raising the unsettling prospect of a Farage-led movement with a seasoned operative pulling the strings, says ANDREW MURRAY
It is rather strange that Labour continues to give prestigious roles to inappropriate, controversy-mired businessmen who are also major Tory donors. What could Labour possibly be hoping to get out of it, asks SOLOMON HUGHES
A ‘new phase’ for Starmerism is fairly similar to the old phase – only worse. ANDREW MURRAY takes a look
Holding office in local government is a poisoned chalice for a party that bases its electoral appeal around issues where it has no power whatsoever, argues NICK WRIGHT


